Lights, Camera, Action
by NBrokenShacklesN
Summary: Piper returns to her fathers house after the giant war, and finds that he is retiring from showbiz, with one last movie. Only problem is... He wants her in this one. Jiper (don't like don't read) T for kissing.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey guys, this is a Jiper story set after the giant war, and in my version, everyone survives. So there. Leo got Calypso of her island and they've set up Leo and Calypso's garage. Hope you Like it guys, and If you want something with a little more Leo, try my other story Change through Flame. PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Disclaimer: I own no-one and nothing that you recognise.**

Lights, Camera, Action

Chapter 1: You want me to WHAT?

Piper stood at the front door of her dads' mansion. It had been over a year since she was last here. Back before she had found out she was a demi-god, when she had just been a little girl wishing that her dad would listen to her. She had grown up since then, war did that. They had won the war against Gaia, but many demi-gods, many of Piper's friends had died.

Now her she was, about to see her father again. She wished Jason could have been here. He was busy at camp Jupiter, establishing connections between the Greek and Roman camps. She had asked Leo to drop her off. Since the Giant war, Leo had thrown himself into inventing. He had made a friend for Buford, and a hundred other things. His most recent invention was a silent helicopter. When she said he had dropped her off, she meant it literally.

She fished a key out from her pocket, and unlocked the door. Walking in, she de-tangled herself from the parachute, and watched as Leo pulled it back up to the helicopter. She smiled, waved, and then shut the front door.

As she walked down the corridor, she noticed a load more cameras' than she remembered, it seemed that since the kidnap, when her dad had been tied to a stake by the giant Enceladus, he had beefed up the security. There were probably more security guards at the main gates as well. Piper absentmindedly wondered whether he dad was going to be in another film soon.

Piper ascended the grand staircase, and walked down the corridor to her room. She sat on the bed, and dumped her suitcase next to her. Child of Aphrodite or not, she was only graceful when she had to be. She started unpacking, and putting all her cloths away in her wardrobe. After she had put all her stuff away, she picked up the suitcase, and saw a bag and a note at the bottom.

She picked up the note; her curiosity peaked, and read it with some difficulty. Three words, definitely in her sister Lacy's writing, and sprayed with enough perfume to make her room stink for a year. She smiled, one thing she was never going to cure her sisters of, was their love of perfume.

Piper opened the perfumed bag to find drachmas. _Stay in touch, _said the note, well there was no way she wouldn't be.

Piper sighed, she wanted to stay at camp year round, like she had last year, but her dad hadn't seen her for ages. She was one of the lucky ones at camp who still had a mortal parent who loved her. Even if he wasn't around most of the time. Seeing everyone who didn't have mortal parents made her feel stupidly ungrateful. She had seen the look Leo had sent her when she said she wasn't sure whether she would be going home, even if he thought she hadn't. After that she would've felt guilty if she stayed.

She stowed her suitcase in the bottom of her wardrobe, and made her way downstairs. She was wearing something other than ripped jeans for once, and though she had told Leo that it was just because she had grown that she needed to stop by a store on the way here, she didn't think that it had fooled him. It was irrational the way she felt she needed to dress up to see her dad. She had never done it before, and she didn't even do it when she talked to her mom, who was the lady of beauty!

She came to a stop in front of her dad's study. Well he called it a study, but he never used it to study anything, aside from the occasional script. Raising her hand, she knocked three times in quick succession, and then waited before knocking a fourth time. The murmur of voice on the other side stopped, and her dads' voice echoed "come in Pipes."

Piper stepped through the doorway, and came to a halt. "Hey dad, are you busy?" Looking round the room, she saw her dad talking to two other men. One of them she recognised as his agent, which meant that the other...

"Not at all Piper." He gestured to the two men, "this is my agent Tony Martina, I'm sure you've met him before..." The agent gave a cold smile, and Piper smiled back, even if it felt rather forced. If she recalled correctly, the last time they had met she had been eight years old and had kicked him in the shin for 'taking away her daddy again'. They had both mutually hated each other since.

"...And this is Sebastian Armóur, he's a producer who will be directing my last film."

Pipers nodded along, until the last sentence registered. "Last film?"

Tristan Mclean grinned at his daughters questioning look, "Well maybe not last, but defiantly last for a while. I'm taking a break from showbiz."

"Really, that's great!" Piper couldn't help her large grin. If her dad was taking a break from showbiz, then she might actually get to spend some time with him. She hadn't ever spent more than a day with her dad, and only ever once that she could remember that didn't end with an argument and her being sent to another boarding school.

"So I was wondering, as this is my last film, if you would..." Piper felt dread growing in her stomach.

"If I would what?"

"If you would be in it to."

Piper looked at him in shock; that had been completely unexpected. Her shock was quickly being replaced by anger. Who did he think he was? He had ignored her all her life, and now she was old enough to be of use, he wanted her to be in a film with him? She was almost ready to storm out and call Leo to take her back to camp!

"You want me to be in a film, with you?" The venom in Pipers voice seemed to make the temperature of the room drop, and the only reason that she hadn't left the room was the smug look on her dads' agents' face.

Pipers' dad seemed to be slightly intimidated by her anger, but the producer didn't seem to be, maybe he was used to dealing with actresses who had temper tantrums. "It's a unique opportunity for the great Tristan McLean's last performance, to make it a family thing, and I'm sure that the audience will love it. Why this plot was practically written with you two in mind. You fit it perfectly!"

Piper could feel her respect for the producer rising. It was obvious that she was annoyed, but he wasn't backing down. That was the mark of a good producer. Uh, her ADHD was distracting her again.

She made a conscious effort to calm down; if he was trying then she would too. "Why would you want me in your film? I've never been an actress, and I might ruin the entire thing."

Her father seemed to have recovered from her little temper tantrum, and was back to normal. "You'll be fine Pipes, no, you'll be great. Please say yes!"

Piper glanced around the room again, the producer looked really hopeful; he must really want her to be in the film, and she felt that she had to prove that she wasn't the diva that her actions had just made her out to be. Here she was, one of the seven, survivor of the war, and victor of Gaia, and she was having a fit over being in a film with her dad. She felt ashamed of herself. It was the least she could do after not speaking to him in a year, and leaving him worried.

The thing that really made up her mind though, was the look on the face of her father's agent. He was looking at her like she was still the little girl who was mad at her father never being there. She would prove to him that she had grown up! No-one looked at Piper Mclean that way, (at least not if they wanted to remain free of Kapatrios.) And since she was sure that her dad wouldn't be very happy with her stabbing his agent, she would settle for proving him wrong.

Piper sighed, this was not what she had been expecting when she had returned home, but somehow she wasn't as surprised as she thought she should have been. "Fine, what's the plot about?"

Piper was once again staring aghast at her father and the producer. Her father's agent "call me Tony" had long since left, simpering that he was needed elsewhere. Had she mentioned she seriously disliked that creep? He reminded her of Octavian, though somehow worse.

"Let me get this straight. You want dad to be the great Greek leader, who is in the middle of defending his state, and way of life against the Roman invaders, and me to be his beautiful, helpless, little girl, who somehow falls in love with the Roman general, and thus persuades her father to give in, so she can marry him. No offence... Ok, offence; that's pathetic. Can't I at least be a warrior princess, who's mad because her dad won't let her fight, and sneaks out, meeting the young Roman general that way? I dislike acting helpless."

The producer actually looked interested in that rendition, but then Pipers' dad had to throw a spanner in the works (she was defiantly spending too much time with the Hephaestus kids; she was starting to talk like them!)

"But Pipes, you'd have to learn how to stage fight, and that could take quite a while."

"Piper sighed; she hadn't wanted to bring this up, but... "Dad, I already know how to fight with a sword... And a knife... And a spear. I'm also not too bad with a flaming hammer. Yeah, don't ask. But point is, you wouldn't have to teach me."

If she had been in another situation, she would have laughed at the dumbfounded look on her dads' face, but right now, she was desperately hoping that he wouldn't demand to know who trained her.

"Pipes, who taught you?"

But then again, when had her luck ever been that good? "A friend from the summer camp I went to." And my boyfriend, she added mentally, but she didn't think her dad was quite ready to hear about Jason yet. He was still coming to grips with how much she had changed. She really didn't need to add in a boyfriend too. Though she was sure that Leo would find it funny to see her fathers' reaction to Jason, she wouldn't. That was a problem for another day.

He gave her a look that said, we will be talking about this later, but fortunately he left it alone, the producer jumped in when the silence began to stretch, "Well, that's sorted then, a warrior princess, trapped in by her overbearing father, who never spends time with her anyway..."

"Perfect" smiled Piper, glancing at her dad. "Sounds just like our life story."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So, I seriously have no idea how showbiz works, so, this chapter might be a little unfactual. The way I see it, the producer is so desperate to have Piper and her dad in his film, that he's ready to have their input. Does that make sense? **

**Sorry, she probably won't tell him the truth, did you see how that turned out in TLH? **

**Please enjoy the second chapter guys! **

Chapter 2: Dad, meet boyfriend.

The three had moved to sit down on the official couches that lined one corner of the room, and were now onto the topic of other actors. Piper knew that she would have to make out with whoever played the Roman general, so was understandably worried at who it would be. As the two others were still discussing the actor who would be playing the late queen (and had less than five minutes of screen time); she felt she was justified in asking about it.

"So, Mr Armóur..."

"Call me Sebastian, we are going to be working together, I hope we can be on a first name basis. Unless you would like me to call you miss Mclean?"

Piper crinkled her nose, which Leo said made her look constipated, but that was Leo. (Jason thought it was cute.) "Please Sebastian, call me Piper, but what I was trying to say was, have you decided on who will be the Roman general?"

Sebastian looked a little uncertain on that. "I would like to be able to tell you I had, but no-one I usually cast or have worked with seem to fit the role. I was toying with the idea of having an audition, and let up and coming actors have a chance of auditioning for that role. That way I could fill some of the other, minor roles as well. What would your opinion on that be?"

Piper smiled, she was grateful that her opinion was being asked, maybe it was her ADHD, but she disliked being ordered about like she didn't have a choice. That was why she would never make a good Roman. She wasn't sure if auditions were better, but maybe this way she could have an input on who was picked.

"Sure, I think that's a great idea, and it would be good for a new actor to be in a film with the Tristan Mclean. It's great that you're giving them a chance. Would I be allowed to come? To present myself as the Greek princess. I wouldn't feel right not doing an audition or anything."

Sebastian looked delighted at her agreement, and he dad seemed to be happy as well. "I'm so glad you're getting in to this Pipes, it'll be great to act with you. But are you sure that you can pull of the weapons?"

Piper glanced around the room, trying not to role her eyes. It's not like her dad knew she had been one of the main fighters in a war that could have destroyed the world. Her eyes fell on the two swords on the wall, Greek style, a memoir of when her father had acted the part of the King of Sparta. She felt a smile growing on her face. Her dad had been trained for months to swing one of them like an expert...

"How about we spar?" Her dad's eyes whipped around to the swords on the wall.

"Pipes, I'm not sure that's such a good idea..."

"Come _on_ dad. Plus it will give Sebastian an idea of what I can do. Please!"

Tristan reluctantly stood up from the couch, and detached the swords from the wall, handing one to Piper. He glanced at Piper's gleeful face, and Sebastian's expectant one. Throwing the hand that didn't have a sword in, into the air he muttered, "Fine, but we are doing this in a bigger room, I don't want to break anything. How about we take it to the entrance hall."

Piper watched the two men leave the room, Sebastian practically skipping, and smiled, boy was her dad going to be surprised.

Twenty minutes later, the three were back in Tristan's office, and Sebastian was almost buzzing. "This is wonderful, you're brilliant at swordplay. Oh I can't wait. I'm terribly sorry to go, but I simply must rewrite the script before I spontaneously combust. Oh this is wonderful!" And with a shaking of hands he left the room, almost giggling.

Piper looked at her father guiltily. "I think I broke him."

"Pipes, I think you broke _me_"

Piper grinned; it had been too long since she had been able to talk to her dad like this. She edged toward the door. "Hey, so I have to call Jason, I'll see you later then..."

"Not so fast Princess, I still need an explanation on who taught you to fight that well. And while we're at it you can explain who Jason is."

Well schist.

"So, you're telling me, that during the year you were at this camp, you managed to learn how to fight like a pro, helped your friend get engaged to her long time boyfriend, got a boyfriend yourself, and helped your friend build a silent helicopter."

"Yeah, pretty much. But I also helped Leo build a bunch of other stuff, and Jason took me flying in Leo's helicopter. Leo wanted to build a warship, but the Idea was vetoed by the camp manager. Seemed to think it might get him in trouble with the police." Piper thought she had blown her dad's brains enough. He really didn't need to know about the actual existence of the Argo two.

Tristan looked completely flabbergasted, and Piper honestly couldn't blame him, it was a lot to take in. She came home after about 18 months and said the equivalent of "Hey dad, I'm like a complete new person now, and I have a boyfriend, who's awesome. Just thought you might wanna know. See ya; I'm just off skydiving over the Rockies!" Ok. Maybe not the last bit.

"You said you were going to call said boyfriend?"

"Yeah..."

"Good, if you don't mind, and even if you do, I will be having a few words with him."

"Dad"

"Pipes, I'm your father, and he's your first boyfriend, I have rights to threaten him."

"Uggg, Fine!"

Piper fished out the phone from one of her pockets, and clicked Jason's number. Technically, no half-bloods were supposed to have mobile phones, but those other inventions of Leo had included mobile phones that didn't send up signals to monsters. He had of course called them Leo-phones. Every demi-god that trusted Leo had one. More so Greeks than Romans, they never really got over the little firing on New Rome that the possessed Leo had done. Thought they didn't attack him on sight anymore. Leo figured that was as close to friends that the majority of Romans would ever be with him.

Another thing Piper had to put up with was the programmed tunes that Leo had put in. As her phone, as well as Jason's and Leo's had been the first three ever made, Leo had decided to put in the ringtone for each of the seven, and Chiron. The others of the seven also got this luxury. So now she had to wait through the superman theme song. Thanks Leo.

Eventually Jason picked up the call, and Piper gave a sigh of relief.

"_Hey Jason, you busy?"_

"_Never too busy for you."_

"_Aww, no but seriously, I just told my dad I had a boyfriend, and he wants to talk to you."_

"_Should I be scared?" _Piper glanced at her dad's face, which did seem to be somewhat stern.

"_He can't kill you over the phone, but be sure not to mention your location; I don't want him sending snipers after you." _Piper hoped that Jason would understand that she didn't want her dad knowing any half-blood stuff. That didn't turn out too well last time, and she hoped that Jason would remember that.

"_I'll be careful, and won't tell him anything, you know, half- bloodie. Wow, that didn't quite come out right."_

"_Ok, I'm passing you over now, good luck."_

Piper carefully passed her phone onto her dad, and carefully retreated, at her dad's shooing hands. She could eavesdrop, but it would be much easier to get the entire conversation from Jason later.

It seemed like a lifetime before she heard the phone beep, and her dad's voice say "You can come back in Pipes."

She entered slightly apprehensively, but her nervousness was halted by the smile on her dad's face. "I will have to meet him before I come to a judgement, but he seems alright, and you seem to really like him. The way you smile when you talk about him. Well. I don't want to see you get your heart broken Pipes. So be careful yeah?"

"Ok dad, I'm not going to get my heart broken, and even if he tries it, which he won't. You saw the way I can handle a sword..."

Her dad laughed, and gave her a hug, then withdrew with a twinkle in his eye, I'll just go and see if Mellie has arranged the next meeting with Sebastian. I'm sure you and Jason can have a talk while I'm gone..."

Piper grabbed the nearest item on the desk, and threw it at him. The paperweight left a dent in the door, as it closed behind him, and his voice filtered through the closed door. "Careful Princess, I can't be in the film If you knock my head off."

**AN: So guys, please review, and tell me what you think of this chapter. Next chapter is the auditions!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys, I'm back! So, I got a few reviews, and guest, I'm sorry, Piper didn't have any previous boyfriends, so Jason unfortunately can't get in a fight with one. However, there will be some guys that he can beat up for flirting with his girl. **

** I got one of the longest reviews I have ever had, Thank you Lemon Dropz, and too answer your queries, there will be bonding with Piper/ Tristan, and also Tristan/Jason, though not so much. I wasn't planning on having Tristan meet the seven, but it's such an awesome idea, I shall now have to do so. Leo first I think... (after Jason of course). They (Jason/Piper) are not going to break up, and I think that it would just be stupid if they did. No mortal problems can break up those two. The only way they would ever be split up is death, then they'd meet in Elysium.**

** Read on and you will see how Jason will be involved...**

Chapter 1: Who will be Prince Charming?

Piper was nervous. She wasn't going to call it scared, scared was reserved for monsters. Nothing really in the mortal world scared her any longer. Even if it was auditions for the guy she would have to kiss. Though she was an actor's daughter she had never really been involved in any of it, so she really didn't know what to expect.

She was sitting on a panel of judges in a white room, with Sebastian, her father, and a few other main characters. Sebastian was big on communication and co-operation. He wanted to involve his cast in the decisions he made, and he wanted a cast that could work together well. So far, Piper had met the actor who was going to play her father's right hand man, the actress who was going to play her mom, and some of the other actors. She had gotten on with all of them well enough, but she got the feeling they didn't know what to make of her. That was alright by Piper, she would be a bit worried too, if she was an actress and she was told to work with a famous actresses only daughter, who first film this was. She was glad that they were at least giving her a chance.

She had already seen about three auditions for the general, and she didn't want to be mean, but she wasn't very impressed with any of them. They were all so, average. She got the feeling that was what Sebastian was thinking as well. They would all be great for minor roles, but not as a main character.

What she was worried about though, was not the lack of talent so far, but the text message she had received from Jason earlier that day, just one word. "Surprise!" She didn't understand what he was talking about, and she was obsessing over it. Jason hadn't texted her in a while, preferring calls, and he had been a little quieter since she had told him about how she was going to be acting in one of her dad's films.

She had asked him if he was bothered by it, but he had said he wasn't, and as a charm speaker, she could tell when someone was lying. He just said he was thinking about something, and that she didn't need to worry. Then he had gone back to talking normally, so she had figured it wasn't something big. Now she wasn't so sure.

She brought her attention back to the auditions, and heard Sebastian say "Next."

All three of the previous budding actors have walked in and introduced themselves first, then proceeded to get into character to perform their audition piece; she could tell that this next person would be different.

She heard him before she saw him, marching echoing down the corridor, an even step, Left, right, left, right. Then the door opened and Piper barely held in a gasp, _now_ she understood the text message.

The marching continued till the blond haired soldier came to a halt in the dead centre of the room, and, crossing an arm over his chest, bent at the waist, straightened, and spoke. "Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, centurion of the fifth cohort, member of the twelfth legion, and child of Rome. Ave."

Piper leant slightly forward, and looked across at the others, who all looked suitably impressed, though they didn't let it show too much on their faces, she could see it in their eyes. She couldn't help feeling pride in her boyfriend. He sure knew how to make an entrance. She saw Sebastian lean forward slightly, "Ave, Jason, are you prepared for this audition?"

"A centurion should be prepared for all eventualities, a disorganised leader results in unnecessary loss of life. I endeavour to be a good leader before Olympus and the senate of Rome. I am always prepared."

Piper gave a sad smile, and then wiped her face clean before anyone noticed. Jason had told her of the march on the titan's palace, and how, because he and Reyna had been organised, they only lost 20 demigods. But twenty of them had been Jason friends. She could see that he too was remembering that as he replied. That sadness in his eyes, that appeared every time he talked about his dead friends.

Sebastian looked even more excited now, and he lent back in his seat. "Then fire away centurion."

Jason swirled on his heal, and she could just picture a cloak swirling around him, he turned to the four men standing at the back. They were trained actors, whom Sebastian has organised to act as soldiers, so that they could see how each candidate directed them. Sebastian had wanted to see how each actor would respond to an aspect of insubordination on the part of their soldiers. Each of the four had been instructed to commit a breach of protocol, and wait for the potential centurion to react, for one of the previous actors, only one had acted up, but for another all four had. Piper wondered how many would act up for Jason.

Jason's eyes gleamed as he looked at them; Piper figured it had been too long since he had been able to go all out on a bunch of newbie's. He took in their slouching against the wall, and a frown appeared on his face. He marched to and fro in front of them, "You are men of Rome's army. The enforcers of the great empire. You should shelter Rome's allies and strike fear into the hearts of her enemies. I should look at you and see straight backed, proud member's of this legion." Jason's voice lowered dangerously, "But that is not what I see."

"I see four lily-livered boys, who are _pretending_ to be men. I see four cowards who think they can do what they want because their wear Rome's armour. I see four pathetic layabouts who would turn and run at the first sign of trouble. It is my job to turn you from that. To turn you into soldiers of Rome who will die for their country. Who will fight to their last breath, and not run, should it be just them agaist a thousand barbarians." Jason looked up and down the now straight soldiers in a scathing way. "And I see I have my job cut out for me."

Piper glanced sideways at Sebastian, who was looking at Jason like he'd never seen anything like him. He looked like his eyes were about to pop out his head. He came back to himself as Jason finished, and tapped the table discreetly, the signal for the first soldier to act up.

The soldier on the far left broke rank. "You can't talk to me like that, my father is..."

Jason didn't even let him finish. "Your father could be Caesar and still I would not care." His eyes glinted dangerously. "Here my word is law, you are in my legion, and you will obey me. I can talk to you how I will. I own you. For the next ten years, or till your death, you are part of my legion. You will obey my every word, or you will be executed for treason. Do you understand?"

The actor gulped slightly and stepped back into line, "Yes centurion, I understand."

"I am glad."

Sebastian looked almost ready to explode with happiness; he tapped again, the signal for the second actor to misbehave. The one on the far right snickered at the telling of that his fellow soldier had just given. Jason whirled round, his eyes sparking. "Do share what you found so _amusing_."

The soldier obviously didn't head the implied warning, "Nothing centurion, except the look on his face."

"Oh?" Jason's voice was dangerously quiet, and Piper felt chills run down her back. "There are many things I dislike in this world. But few I hate. One of those I hate is a coward. Another is a soldier who ridicules his compatriots. You fall into two of those categories. I suggest you forget your hilarity, or I will make a mockery of you in front of the entire legion. We will see who is laughing then."

Sebastian signalled for the actors to stop, and stood up from his seat, "Jason, I think we have seen all we need to, please wait outside with the others while we decide on who would fit the part. If you do not get the part of Centurion Marcus, you will likely get a smaller part as one of his soldiers."

Jason approached the front of the room, and once more bowed with his arm across his chest, "Ave", and then left the room. His footsteps echoing behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys, I'm sorry that I haven't updated this story in so long. It's not abandoned I promise. I was concentrating on Fire Triangle, and then when I was going to update, my brother needed the laptop for coursework, which I have to concede, is perhaps slightly more important than this story. **

**I'm so glad you all liked Jason's entrance, and in this chapter you will have Tristan's reaction to the budding actor being 'that Jason'. **

**Disclaimer: If you recognise it, then I don't own it. **

** And with no further ado... **

Chapter 4: Yeah, that Jason.

Piper was still in shock. She had no clue that Jason could act. Especially not like that! Thought she had a feeling that he acted so well because it wasn't acting. He actually was a Roman general, not that he was going to be telling anyone that.

Glancing across the room, she noticed Sebastian beckon her over, his face alight with a broad grin. He looked as though he had just won the lottery. So did some of the other actors. She heard the actor who was going to play her dad's army leader, and second in command, whispering to the actress beside him, "That boy has talent!"

She felt like turning around and singing that "that boy" was her boyfriend. Though she suspected that thought came from Aphrodite, seemed like something her mom would giggle over. She gave a little frown and wiped the thought from her mind. Sure she was cool with Aphrodite being her mom, but that didn't mean she was going to turn into a giggling weakling!

By the time she had finished that thought, she was standing in front of Sebastian, and the actors around him had gone quiet. She tried not to gulp as they all looked at her. Sebastian spoke, "Now, I know we were all impressed with Mr Grace, but I would like your input Piper. Do you have any problems with him? Now is the time to speak up, because once we have cast him, he's here to stay."

Piper wasn't going to object to Jason at all, but as she opened her mouth to say so, she heard one of the actors by Sebastian whispering to another. "If she says she has a problem with kissing him, I swear I will chuck her out the window."

Piper couldn't help but laugh over the not so subtle comment. When you were in a silent room whispers carried pretty far. She glanced at the actor who would be playing her main guard; he didn't look apologetic at all, and merely smirked at her. He reminded her of a thirty year old Leo, or what Leo would probably be like in twelve years. She saw so much of Leo in him, that she immediately retorted the way she would had he been Leo.

"As my future prison warden has pointed out so kindly," here she sent a matching smirk at him, "I would be plain idiotic to object. Plus, Jason pretty fit." The actor who had spoke slung an arm around her shoulders, and spoke to Sebastian.

"I like this one," he poked her in the arm and grinned, "I'm keeping her".

Piper laughed again, and gave a full out grin, "Why sir, I don't even know your name!" She spun herself out from under his arms, and pretended to hide behind her father, who was grinning himself at the two's performance.

The man gave a faux gasp, and bowed to the ground, "Allow me to introduce myself Princess Piper, I am Lord Troy Richards, son of the noblest family of Richards. My father, Richard the four hundred and sixteenth, decided to name his son something different for a change."

Tristan stepped forward, and frowned at Troy. "What is your intention toward my daughter?" Piper couldn't help but gasp at that, her dad was joining in? This was probably the closest she and her father had acted in... Years. Acted of course, an appropriate pun for the situation.

"Nothing unseemly my lord, merely ask her hand."

Piper stepped around her dad and rejoined the conversation, "Oh, my Lord Troy, I am truly honoured, but my heart belongs to another..."

Their charade, which until now had just been accompanied by various snickers from the gathered actors and actresses, was interrupted by a hung gasp from the reporter in the corner. Piper frowned, then realised that she had just admitted she had a boyfriend. That would be like a goldmine to the press, who had been clamouring for as much information as they could find on Tristan's mysterious trouble maker of a daughter.

Troy had turned to her in surprise, breaking the act himself. "You have a boyfriend."

"Yep" Piper really should have recognised the gleam in Troy's eyes.

"What's his name?"

"Not telling." Troy frowned at that, and turned to Tristan, throwing his arm over her dad's shoulders, as he grinned.

"Hey Trissy-dear, what's the name of your daughter's boyfriend?"

Tristan McLean gave an esperated sigh, "if you would remove your arm..." Troy eagerly moved away, and looked at Tristan.

"Well..."

"Still not telling."

Troy frowned and turned back to Piper, a gleam in his eye. "I will find out missy, and I will make sure I manage to prank him with shaving cream on Jello."

"He won't fall for it!"

"He will fall for it; everyone falls for it the first time."

"Yes, but it wouldn't be the first time." Piper smiled, remembering the time on the Argo two, when Leo had managed to get everyone with that prank, including himself so that he wouldn't be a suspect. His maniacal laugh had given him away though, and he found his shower would only run ice cold water till he grovelled to Percy to change it back.

Troy's response was cut off by Sebastian, as he cleared his throat, and gave the two of them a pointed look. "While I'm sure we're all incredibly excited at the prospect of Piper's absent boyfriend," he glanced at the reporter, who had the good sense to try look abashed, but wasn't really managing it. "But we have some auditionees outside who are waiting for our decision. I believe it was unanimously Jason, am I correct?"

The other actors and actresses gave a variety of agreements, with Troy's "Yep!" being the loudest.

"Ok, then, and I will be offering the others minor roles in the army, yes?" Another round of agreements ensued. Sebastian nodded, and asked Tracy, who was going to be acting as Piper's servant, if she would be willing to show the four in.

They first three seemed somewhat nervous, and entered slowly, with Jason's blank face behind them, his eyes meeting with Pipers, and lighting up. She could almost see lightning bolts in them. She smiled at him, before glancing at the reporter in horror, she didn't want the media to actually realise she knew Jason. If they tried to dig up his past, well it would end badly, was an understatement.

She let out the breath she had been holding when she realised that the reporter and cameraman were still trained on the four who had just entered. Jason seemed to realise that she wanted him to keep their relationship secret. He looked a little hurt, and she knew she would have to explain later.

The three that hadn't got the role took it reasonably ok, though one of them set a jealous glare at Jason back, making Piper frown. Jason looked a little shocked too, and Piper knew that it was his first time acting, and he probably hadn't expected to win.

It was almost an hour later that Piper got a chance to get Jason to himself, and Troy had cleared toe corner, declaring that the Centurion Marcus and his bride to be Princess Adonia needed some private time to get acquainted, and Piper was grateful. She didn't appreciate the innuendo he had added on the end of that statement, but she did appreciate the space.

"Jason, I want to keep us being together a secret. I'm not ashamed of you or anything, and I know you well enough that you will have either used the mist, or Leo's hacking skills to create a back-story for why you haven't been heard of since you were two, but..."

"Piper, I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, the media haven't had anything on the mysterious daughter of Tristan McLean. If it gets out that we're dating, they're going to try to dig things up about the both of us. We don't want that happening anymore than it needs to."

Piper smiled at Jason, resisting the urge to reach up and kiss him, and thanked her mom mentally that she got such an awesome boyfriend. The sweet voice in her head that rang with giggles as it replied "_You're welcome honey!"_ almost made her physically cringe.

Jason grinned at her face, "I know, I know, I'm awesome." Piper grinned and lightly slapped him around the head.

"Careful Jason, if your head gets any bigger it won't fit in your costumes helmet."

Piper and Jason stood up, and headed for the doors, intending to sneak outside for a brief moment. They were blocked by the large body of Tristan McLean. "Where are you two going?"

"Nowhere."  
"Outside."

"Ummm" The two looked at each other, then back at Tristan. Who stared at them silently until Piper began to fiddle, blaming her ADHD for her impatience.

"Jason Grace." Jason straitened, and looked at Tristan directly, instead of the floor.

"Yes sir."

"That Jason?"

"Yes sir."

Tristan took a long look at Jason before claiming loudly, "You could be worse," ignoring Piper's embarrassed cry of "Dad!"

Tristan leaned forward, and whispered menacingly into Jason's face, "If you hurt her, I will ruin you. Fame can be remarkably useful sometimes." Jason was spared the reply by a crash in the parking lot outside, and a familiar voice exclaiming, "Schist!"

Piper was at the window before she registered moving, there was a half crashed helicopter outside, and a familiar Latina Santa's elf clambering from the wreck. Piper shared a glance with Jason, while they decided who would pretend they didn't know Leo. They came to an agreement and Piper raised her voice to yell out the window.

"Leo! What in the name of What, did you just do?!"

Leo jumped at the voice and looked up at Piper's voice the floor above, "Oh, hey there Beauty Queen."

**Hope you like it folks, and please send a oh-so-lovely review winging merrily in my direction. BYE NOW!**


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